The modern title of this story is derived from its central character, the lion-goddess Tefnut, who was the daughter and also the Eye of the sun-god Rê. In the story, Tefnut has become angry with Egypt and has gone away to the south, where she take the form of a 'Nubian cat'. Egypt suffers much harm in her absence, and a 'dog-monkey', who is sometimes identified as the son of Thoth, is sent to persuade her to return home.
In order to mollify the goddess, among other devices the dog-monkey tells some animal fables:
This was a popular story, which was passed down over many generations - as shown by the frequent glosses in the text. There was also a Greek translation, of which some fragments have survived; see S. West, "The Greek Version of the Legend of Tefnut" (1969: PDF). There are many references to the myth in Egyptian temple texts of the Ptolemaic period; see B.A. Richter, "On the Heels of the Wandering Goddess" (2010: PDF).
The text was first published by W. Spiegelberg, "Der Ägyptische Mythus vom Sonnenauge" (1917: archive.org). Since then, there have been various translations into modern languages:
There is also an online translation in German, in the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae. Most of these translations have been consulted in the compilation of this English version. The translation of 'The Lion and the Mouse' is adapted from M.Lichtheim, "Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol. III" (1980), pp.157-159; and the translation of 'Sight and Hearing' is adapted from W.J Tait in "Acta Orientalia, 37" (1976), pp.38-40.
{ The beginning of the story is missing in the principal manuscript. The following fragment is contained in P. Lille 31. }
[A] ( The third chapter: The little . . . )
The Nubian cat [opened her mouth and] said:
[They are] good, the speeches that you make . . .
. . . Man with his fate is like a boat that [sails] . . . His fate is like a safe [shore (?)] . . . The wind that capsizes (?), whose [direction], colour and . . . is unknown . . . The changes of the wind are like the blows of fate. The god is like [the sailor] who steers it. His heart is his rudder . . . 35 He who is magnanimous in a fair wind (?), will . . . reach the safe shore. But he who is cruel will stumble . . . immediately. The god is the . . . of the ferry. His work is to guide daily; he provides daily guidance. He throws out those with whom he is angry; he brings in those to whom he is gracious. May the day of grace come!
My heart longs for Egypt, my country. Its fragrance comes [to me]. Its winds (?) drive me. He who is hungry leaves his city, but he who is full stays in it. . . .
. . . Will you come with me to Egypt? I will convince you of what I say. I will make your [breath] beautiful, 40 I will make your life pleasant. I will give you a wise (?) woman to follow your heart, a strong (?) to do what you want, a friend to emulate your behaviour, a companion . . . with him. I will satisfy you with what you desire, I will make you . . . like dry wood, I will make you fresh like a plant that grows in water, [I will] revive your flesh . . ., I will strengthen your bones. I will make you praise the good fortune of this mountain, which has caused me to meet you.
He [hesitated (?)] for a moment, then he gave her another reply.
( The fourth chapter: The little discussions. )
The little dog monkey opened his mouth and spoke, saying:
O may you live! O may you be healthy! O [you], the one of whom Rê boasts! The lands know your fearsomeness, but it is your gentle form which you should take. Do not become angry; you should love mercy. Your power is great . . . 45 do not abandon your reputation! I know your mighty greatness; you are the greatest of the great. Do not reject your kind! Blessed is he who has spoken to you. He who alters your command will be seized by the plague, and he who uses violence against you will immediately be rejected. He who . . .
{ Very little survives of the first column of text in the principal manuscript; the text resumes in the middle of a speech by the dog-monkey. }
[2] . . . may fate save you [from this evil] . . . the sufferings of the land. You will bear witness to good things. Whoever steals will be robbed; theft begets theft. Whoever oppresses the land will have no home on earth; the hyenas will tear his body to pieces on a (?) tomb. Even if he runs down the road, punishment will overtake him. When he argues, what will he say? Listen, my lady, to this story that I will tell you.
There was once a female vulture who had a nest on top of a desert tree, not far from a cat who had given birth at the foot of a hill. However, the vulture was afraid 10 to go looking for food for her chicks, for fear that the cat would take the opportunity to destroy her young ones. Similarly, the cat was afraid to looking for food for her kittens, for fear that the vulture would kill them.
The vulture spoke to the cat and said, "Can we not coexist in peace, if we take [an oath] before Rê, the great god, in these terms: 'When one of us goes to get her little ones' meal, the other must not harm them' ?" They exchanged oaths before [Rê], to comply with these terms.
Now one day the [(?) cat] saw some [food] . . . [she] planted her claws . . . in it . . . [could] not . . . saying, 20 "By the life of Rê! This is not [your] food . . . I did not bring it for you. Find some for [yourself] . . ."
. . . replied to her, "I am below . . . before Rê to ensure that retribution strikes [because of] the false oath [you] made . . . "
[His] two wings did not carry him far from . . . to end his life. He said to her, "[Retribution will] strike . . . it will strike the son's son . . ."
The vulture made . . . [saying to herself]: "Although Vengeance has gone to the borders of Syria, it will return here at another time. It will come to me when the cat goes looking for food for her children; then I will destroy her offspring and get food for my own children. 30 When [Vengeance] returns here at another time, it will end the cat's life [because of] what previously happened between me and her."
The vulture kept the matter before her eyes. One day, the cat went to get some food for her young ones; and the vulture destroyed them. When the cat returned, [3] she could no longer [find her kittens]. She then looked up at the sky, and begged Rê, "Recognise my rights towards this vulture, who has exterminated my children, after betraying the oaths we swore together!"
Her request was heard by Rê. A divine power was sent to bring vengeance to strike the vulture who had exterminated the cat's offspring. He found Vengeance under the tree where the vulture had [her perch]. He ordered Vengeance to punish the vulture for what she had done to the cat, just as he had been ordered by Rê.
Now the vulture had seen a Syrian who was roasting a desert donkey. [She took a piece] of food when he was not looking. She carried the piece of meat in her beak 10 and brought it to her nest; but she did not notice that glowing embers were still attached to it. The embers burned the vulture's nest and her chicks fell to the ground beneath the tree.
The cat came up and spoke to the vulture: "By the life of Rê! It was you who [broke] your oath and who destroyed my children. Now vengeance [has struck your] little ones, who have been consumed by fire."
The little dog-monkey said, ". . . you, O little Nubian cat. The vulture [was punished for breaking the oath] that she had made with the cat. Rê makes [Vengeance strike] . . . "
She swore an oath . . . the little dog monkey: 20 "By your face, by . . . the cat swear, saying she would . . ." Then the cat raised her face towards the horizon . . . and swore [the oath] that he desired.
( The little [praises], his voice also: )
By your face with its beautiful eyes!
By the creating of beauty that dwells within you!
By your looks that shine with happiness!
By your face full of joy, from which the whole country lives
Just as from the rays of the great disk of the sun!
[The said] matter . . . it is prepared for you:
The heart of the [sun god] remains sealed for it.
Where you are, all the houses are built to hide it,
And the Nile flows to cover it.
During the day he flies to the sky with the birds,
30 Every day he is in the water with the fish.
He is the one who gives the [south] wind to the night barge
And the north wind to the day barge.
Every day he sleeps and wakes with us:
He lives among the Hegraeans and dines in the land of Elam;
He lies down in the region of Lȝm and spends the day among the Nubians;
He dwells with the Keftiu - but remains permanently in Egypt.
[4] The said matter (?) [is] pure above all else; no-one in the world (?) despises it.
As soon as the Nubian cat heard this, she smiled and mocked . . . saying: "You are confusing (?) what you are angry about, because you are unable to solve it."
( The little separations (?): his voice also. )
The little dog-monkey said to her: "I am subject to fate. I see that you have made an oath like a child, that you are, one could say, still an infant. Milk is your (?) diet, and porridge (?) serves as your food. You are someone who cannot distinguish heat from cold (that is, life from death) - who does not know, so to speak, what causes the heat and the cold (that is, the fear in him). 10 I swear that I have told you this."
( The little . . . : his voice also. )
"If you haven't understood it so far, call to Shu, your brother-husband, and tell him: 'Come with me to Egypt, and I will never let you return to these lands again'. "
The Nubian cat said to him: "Can I perhaps, after having sworn to Rê to stay away? Rê is my father who is the bull of the womb, from which I came forth."
The dog-monkey said: "O my lady! Your love for Shu, your brother-husband, is great and I know that you don't want to (?) annoy him. Great is he who came forth with you by the work of a divine hand! My effort to convince you to return will not benefit everyone on earth, unless he is with you too. What's the point of making a sistrum if its handle . . . the opening? Do not say: 'he is far from me.' He will not put any blame on you because he is your brother. His ancestors in Heracleopolis are the ones who will put blame on you; (that is, the divine punishers, . . . the fathers of Rê)."
The cat gave him the oath that his heart desired.
( The little . . . ; his voice also. )
He said: "My lady, I have already told you this same thing . . . is happy and joyful. They call nothing else 'Beautiful Face' except . . .; 'Sistrum Face' is what they call it, at the time when they love [to see it]. Listen: you can never get enough of the pleasure it gives, and there is nothing else on earth with a sweeter taste. Because of it, the shrine . . ."
After the cat heard this, she [was troubled in] her heart ( that is, her heart began to think about the words that the little dog-monkey said to her ). She considered the same thing and noticed the effect that it had. Her face 30 became happy and she smiled. She replied to him: "You must beware of my strength while you are here on my path . . . You will do harm to me, although I am doing good to you."
The little dog-monkey noticed that the [same] thing had produced its effect . . .
( The sixth chapter : the trepidation (?) of the heart. His voice [5] also. ) He said to her: "May you live! Tell me what causes gods and men to rejoice when they hear the voice . . . together with her . . . and they rejoice at . . . When people see it, their bodies feel joy, their limbs are vigorous, the old are rejuvenated, the young are refreshed, as happens with nothing else in the world except this."
( Her voice also. The little . . . )
The Nubian cat said to him: "It is the place where we were born, and also the organ from which we were generated. 10 There is nothing else on earth that the god loves more."
( His voice also. The little instructions. )
The little dog-monkey said to her: "You are justified in your heart! May you live! I have spoken plainly to you, so that you may realise that everyone in the world loves their place of birth, the place which brought them into the world."
( According to another version : "They were given their place on their birth-stone in Upper Egypt." And it happens that the gods of Lower Egypt who dwell (?) in Upper Egypt have retained their place which is (?) in Lower Egypt, while the gods of Upper Egypt who dwell in Lower Egypt have retained their place [which is (?) available] to them in Upper Egypt, which is the place where they were born. )
"The hearts of gods and men remain tied to the place where they lay, the house where they were born and where they find eternal rest. And it doesn't just happen to gods and men, but it happens to every creature on earth to be happy in every place that is theirs, that is, the place where they were born; to give an example [this also happens] to the fat goose 20 when it is outside the pond and when there was a lotus . . . fat geese outside the pond, in their village, where they live."
( The little . . . ; his voice also. )
"When you were immersed in dung . . . that they would tell a person. They will say 'dung ball ' to anyone who holds a low position in the village; but it is not an insult to the type of life that one leads there. The one who says, 'You are in the dung', . . . he is the one who assumes all the aspects of all the gods, the one who was generated by his own hand. When the god says 'dung ball' . . . [is it an insult] to the Scarab who is the image of Rê, the great god? He would not be offended by it being said." ( That is, anyone who does any work in his village will not be despised. )
( The little songs. )
"May you fall on your threshing floor; 30 may you find your sycamore – which is what Fate says to the one it loves. May you die in your village where you were born; may you find your burial. They will bury you and you will rest in your sarcophagus, which is made from the same sycamore."
And further: "When a crocodile grows old anywhere, it wants to die in the canal which is it's home. When a snake is tired, it seeks its hole to crawl into, unless it smells a herb . . . and coils up inside it. [6] Ebony does not turn black in Egypt. The marshes of Punt are green with rushes and reeds, but no [sycamore] is found there. A barley ear does not smell of ḏlm. The desert mountains are green with real feldspar, like the papyrus that grows . . ." ( The feldspar, which is a stone found on the mountain, is compared to the papyrus plant that grows in water. Or it refers to the "green stone", which they place it on the eye - that is, Sekhmet-Bastet - to beautify it and satisfy it. This is the green faience which is made into amulets for the propitiation of Sekhmet, and also the papyrus plant with which they appease her. )
"In fact you are the lady of the green stone and of the green sceptre," 10 ( that is the papyrus stalk that is carried in the hand of all the goddesses, and which symbolises that "we are the mistresses of the papyrus documents", just as the mekes-sceptre which is carried in the hands of the male gods represents . . . the country, and symbolises that "we are the masters of the country." It is called "bush" because that is also a word for fire. The papyrus plant is cut down when it is fully grown, like the fire that they extinguish when its flame has grown too high. He says "green stone" without talking about any other stone because the green stone of Upper Egypt means (?) "snake"; it is the greenest stone that the desert mountains produce. He says "papyrus" because there is no greener or more widespread plant in Egypt. )
This is the . . . that he made to the goddess: "The mountains do not produce anything as wonderful as this thing, 20 which is so widespread in Egypt, your country!" He also said that the green stone does not grow in water, and the papyrus plant does not grow in the desert.
He also said: "The Persea tree does not bear fruit if it is planted on stone." ( He spoke about the colour of (?) papyrus, as mentioned above, because there is nothing greener than the colour of the papyrus plant; it is compared to the Persea fruit, "which is so green that there is nothing greener in Egypt, your country." )
And then he added: "The evergreen mountains that shine with real turquoise cannot be compared with a stalk of barley growing in your green fields, because the mountains of turquoise cannot be compared with a stalk of barley when it grows in your green fields! The green colour(?) which they call "beautiful" is truly beautiful. ( He said this because the barley stalk gives nourishment 30 and life to everyone, but turquoise cannot be eaten. )
( His voice also. His little . . . )
Then he added: "They do not build a royal palace for the bee; they do not build a stable out of dung; but a hive of dung is better than a hive of stone." ( That is to say, they do not build a house of stone for the bee; [7] its work would be impossible there, because it is not the place where it was born. If one says "they do not build the stable out of dung," it means that the stable where the cat gives birth is not built with dung, that is excrement, but they build it with stone. A comparison is made between the cat's house and the bee's house . . . "a storehouse made of honeycombs", as they call a piece (?) of honeycomb. He says "A hive of dung is better than a hive of stone," because a hive of dung, that is of excrement, is better for the honeycomb than a hive of stone. )
Then he said, "Milk is the nourishment of the mouth until it develops teeth." 10 He said this further, that all that the fly needs as nourishment, all that it drinks and eats, is . . . a dead carcass.
This is what he said to the goddess: "Do you perhaps despise the bee because it makes its honeycomb in the dung that stinks of the cow from which it came, when the cow is Neith ?". ( He made the comparison between the bee and the cat since "honey-bee" is its proper name. The beekeepers, when they want to wake them up (?) in the morning, call them with a reed whistle, because Neith has used (?) the reed previously. When one wants to write the word "honey", one uses the figure of Neith with a reed in her hand, because she is the one who purifies the temples of Upper and Lower Egypt, when they are being re-founded. 20 The gods cannot rest in their shrines if they have not been purified. And then, he should be called "Cat" ; he has a cat's face because from primordial times that appearance has belonged to the great god Rê. He has the form of a tom-cat, and the female cat is also the Eye, that is the uraeus. And furthermore: they call the bee "king of Lower Egypt" , and they give the same name to the cat, that is the uraeus. When the first chapel of Neith was founded, it was called . . ., and this is the meaning (?) of what he said above. )
These are the observations he made to the goddess.
He added: "I have opened my heart to you concerning the things that I have considered, so that you may be convinced by it: I am referring to what happened to the little divine ram (?) who left the Wedjat Eye of the gods, 30 that is Egypt, but then he wanted to return to his country and his own home, which he longed for like a cow that calls her calf when her offspring has gone far away from her. Your mouth is not (?) yet dry and you can say, 'I am coming immediately!' [8] Whoever is hungry longs for his village home, and he who is full should not despise it either. May you live! A lamp does not shed light in broad daylight, and similarly my small voice has no value compared to your voice as an important person. From the beginning I have never (?) disguised myself in front of my lady; my word remains my word. If anyone says 'No' after having told you 'Yes', may leprosy strike him, because he has committed a capital sin!"
The little dog-monkey finished his speech, with the Nubian cat looking at him and consuming him with her gaze. She was amazed to hear his voice and greatly delighted. She admired his ability to speak although she could not . . . 10 ( Her own voice, with her little . . . )
The Nubian cat spoke to him, with her heart on fire and her lips burning; the breath of her mouth was a fiery wind like a viper's. Her eyes were sad and she averted her gaze; her whole body shook, as she said:
"You have made my heart heavy, although it had become calm. My heart was content after I succeeded in forgetting Egypt. Behold, by your love for your country you have made me long again for my Egypt, which was like the scent of wheat to my heart. You have made it sweet, like a fine ointment which is never far from its owner. You have said this and that. Does your saliva belong to me? By the one who is in the egg of Shu ( that is, the lord of the gods, who turns water into bones ) ! 20 Have you entered the Eye so that you have become lord of the month? I am its right hand and I am like a claw behind you to grasp you." ( She means, when you have joined the Moon, they would call you "Lord of the bulls who makes the womb conceive." )
"I am the womb that conceives, the mother who makes life in the womb" ( when she is invoked by the companions of the beginning and the end - that is, the beginning and the end of the labour pains of the woman who comes to give birth - they should invoke Bastet rather than Amun. When the time that their mother spends with them arrives, Nekhebet is the goddess that they invoke to bring her down. She is the mistress of the beginning and the end because "the end and the beginning" is the name they give to the . . . which is in the temples of Egypt, and which is also the image of the goddess. She says, "I am its hand," because the amulets that are placed on her body represent Bastet, 30 with the head of a vulture on her body and the appearance of a sistrum on her feet, and she has two wings open. She is called? a vulture alluding (?) to the mother who nurtures her, and a sistrum alluding (?) to the impregnated womb. They are put on the sḫm, with which they appease the goddess, saying "you are the mistress of the livelihood of men and women." The 'little boy' in the royal palace (?) has no divine power; [9] but the womb that gives birth is the nurturing mother. . . . before Pharaoh, because he is compared to the god Maahes, great in strength, son of Bastet. )
And the dog-monkey added: "Therefore, Rê is a king for me, together with his brothers" ( that is, the divine powers that came into being by the hand of the goddess; so in (?) comparison to Maahes son of Bastet, Rê is a king , that is, he acts like a king over the divine forces (?) after me. )
The cat frightened . . . and she also said: "You are like a baboon with his bow, so that you become like Sothis, the creator of our creators. But I am the venerable vulture, the . . . of the Lord of Thebes" ( that is, the venerable vulture who has no male . . . She can be compared to Nut in that she came into existence without a male? begetting her . . . that is, she brought herself, who is Sothis, 10 for whom everything is done, and who also symbolises the year. When one wants to write the word "year", one uses the image of the vulture, as it is she who causes the months to exist. She is the primordial goddess who created everything in the world; they all came into being from her. When one wishes to show the goddess in the form of an amulet of the year, one uses the image of a female baboon shooting arrows; she hangs her bow under the sky, and the arrows are her stars, saying (?) the year of birth . . . Kby calculates the time. In another version: "Kby determines (?) the birth". )
The Nubian cat added: "You are perhaps lord of the tireless and imperishable stars that are on the boat of the sacred scarab, born . . . I am the female falcon that came out of it." ( She refers to Rê, saying that you should join with his rowers. ) "I will not turn away from you, wherever you enter or wherever you go before me. 20 They call me 'The One of the Earth' because the daughter . . . of the earth, I am. No-one but me is called 'The One from Tny', because he has made me the ruler of rulers and he has also made me lady of the whole earth. Behold, the earth is before me like a box" ( that is, "the divine lands are before me, like a wreath (?) that turns." ) "Do you know what the Lord of Knowledge wrote about me? He did not go away, but rather he instructed the inhabitants of the Earth about my ways, because he knew my anger. My heart was so inflamed that he said: 'Rise up, children, the cat cannot go to court' ." ( In another version: 'to any form of judgement.' ) "(?) Porcupine, O porcupine! It is the cat that is a [uraeus]" ( that is, she is the one who judges ). ( Variant: "Beware of the cat and of the cat's oath, saying 'Long live the flesh and the breath!' ". Another variant: "A cat's trial has no end." )
The little dog-monkey looked at the Nubian cat. 30 Her heart was troubled and she had a frown on her face. She stood on her claws and kept her eyes fixed on the ground. She spent an hour with a gloomy expression, like someone who was (?) thoughtful and pensive; . . . her eyes shed hot tears, [10] like the sky in a storm.
{ misplaced? } ( Seventh chapter. The cat speaks: her voice also. The little remedies of the soul. )
The little dog-monkey said to her:
How come your face is [as dark as] the night and your looks are like fire?
O you to whom belong the houses of gold [and silver] of every kind!
O you who are awakened in the evening boat!
O you who are revealed at sunset!
O you to whom incense is offered so that you may be appeased!
O you to whom the beautiful singers belong.
Their drums are silent, their harps are covered with dust. Your dancers beat on the tambourine but there is no sound in their hands. Your . . ., your dancers call for you. Your tambourine players have not come to the arcades of the street, your singers are in mourning, 10 your (?) flute players [have stopped] in fear at the entrance of the street . Your . . . and your florists are all in despair. They ask about your ways, their eyes turn away from you, . . . like the Nile on the fields of Egypt. They all . . . like the dew during the summer heat . . ., they call for you like the rain . . . towards you like the astronomers (observe) Sothis . . . at night; they look towards you . . . daily like the moon . . .; they tremble at her hours like the . . . is calculated . . . for the food of Rê . . . ( Variant: "Like the . . . of Hebit, as the . . . is calculated . . .". )
20 Your followers disperse in the streets, in the porches and in the courtyards. Their little children call for you . . ., they shout on your way, their eyes turn towards you, their gazes are fixed on you as if watching Rê rising in the morning; their . . . rejoice when they hear your news. Your young people [receive] the rays of the sun at midday, telling of your (?) works. The older ones . . . in the evening, responding to your words. Old and young long for you.
The kings and great men of the earth are mourning for you; they cannot sit down because their throne has been ruined, and their actions on the earth have . . . since you left Egypt. Joy has left along with you; 30 intoxication is finished and forgotten; celebration is hidden and never seen. The bliss of a time in your presence has been lost; the happiness experienced with you has become alien. Throughout Egypt there is evil discord between the great and the humble; joy is halted [11] and the drinking-hall of Atum is in mourning. All have gone away with you, and have hidden themselves from Egypt, but in Bukem they are rejoicing; there is joy in the forests and jubilation among the Nubians.
My lady, Egypt lies sorrowful at your feet; there is [no] day of celebration in your temples. The . . . has a bitter taste, the women and men have a sad face, the beautiful women walk along the street without a smile. But when you turn your face towards them, you are like the Nile that floods the dry fields, pouring water onto them, when their (?) mouths are open in great numbers. The dust under your feet is more welcome than the dust of the warehouses, where the grain stores of the people of Egypt are [kept]. There is sweetness in the appearance and fragrance of your (?) sanctuary, 10 where the (?) smoke of your mouth is, like the fragrance of Punt, the fragrance of . . . Your saliva is like honey, the juices of your mouth are like nectar. Your beautiful mouth is sweeter than a cultivated field, green and fertile with every type of grain. Your . . . are more beautiful than the sky when it is free from clouds, with no threats on the horizon. It is more pleasant to be in your presence than to eat after hunger, more pleasant than strength after weakness, more pleasant than love after hate. Your gentle speech is sweeter than the good north wind on the sea, when it is calm (?) for a long time.
But the way you look at me is that of a butcher looking at the ox tied in front of him! I am like a fattened goose whose great feathers have been clipped; 20 and you stand on your claws like a vulture on carrion! My lady, bless me with a heartfelt embrace, and protect me. It is right. Bring me back to the world after death, back to the light after mourning!
Why is your face clouded, O my lady, your tears . . .; why do your eyes flame at me like meteors? If there is something you have heard from me which that makes your heart burn, tell me, don't hide it from me and I will give you the explanation, I will mitigate it in your presence. Put your shackles on my feet, put your (?) noose on my head; place your wrought iron sword against my guilty head . Let the breath of your mouth follow me and run after me; 30 let the fumes that come from your lips envelop me and burn the culprit with their fire. I stand terrified before you. Who would dare utter an offensive word in front of you? How could the fish I didn't eat cause me harm? [12] ( That is: the fault that I have not committed, how could I fear it? )
O noble lady! Turn towards Egypt, bring joy back with you, bring back the jubilation in which you rejoice; may we celebrate together with you! For my part, I will remain here until Vengeance has had its fill of me. You love your country, and I too feel homesick for it. Call out and say: "Come to Egypt with me".
Listen to a fable that I will tell you because it applies to both of us: "A kite was a vulture's friend, while the hoopoe was her companion." I know that you listen to me with interest when I walk with you; because your listening has been established from the beginning. They call no one else but you the "great listener."
As 10 the little dog-monkey raised his face to continue the speech he was making, the Nubian cat realised that he was saying all this to direct her, and prevent her from staying in the desert. So my mistress, the cat, decided to frighten him.
( Her little tricks. )
She transformed into a furious lioness who had divine power in her height and likewise in her breadth. She shook his hair mane forwards, and her (?) fur smoked with fire. Her back turned to the colour of blood; her face shone like the disk of the sun; her eyes glowed like flames; her gaze burned like fire, throwing out flames like the mid-day sun; and all around her was incandescent. 20 Everyone around her became afraid of her display of power; the desert rose to dust when she flicked her tail; the sand rose up when she bared her teeth; the desert threw out flames when she sharpened her claws. The thorn (?) bushes dried up when her nostrils blew smoke and many blow-flies came out. She let out a mighty roar, with the full force of her voice. The desert opened its mouth; the stone spoke to the sand; and the hill trembled for two hours.
The dog-monkey was very scared indeed. As soon as it saw the terrible (?) demonstration of her power, the desert covered its face; the mountains became black; the splendour of the sun was darkened in the middle of the day. The little dog-monkey could no longer see the sky; 30 his body trembled like that of someone in the grip of an illness; he became like a frog, and he hopped like a grasshopper; he shrank and his body became like that of a dwarf. He stood up on two legs and took the form of a monkey of the sun boat in the presence of the goddess. He was in great anguish and he no longer knew [13] where in the world he was.
( His voice also: [his little] . . . )
These are the words that the dog-monkey spoke:
I have seen you, Shesmetet-Sekhmet, I have seen you, you from the marshland of . . . I have looked at you, . . . with your lotus flower and with [your face ( ?)] serene, when you are adorned with your pearl necklace of faience, your necklace of green stone, [your] . . . of faience, with the garland of . . . around your neck with its . . . and with your ornament ( ?) . . . your ebony sceptres . . . in your hand, while your cupbearers . . . your cattle-keepers carry their gold . . . your dancers carry their . . . while their garlands are adorned with . . . 10 celebrating your . . . I saw them all, I saw them as they made a circle around you [and while] all the singers, wearing (?) their necklaces, were lined up to greet [you]. I realised that there was no goddess among them . . . who could be compared to you in splendour. I realised that there was no goddess among them who had feminine beauty as great as yours. You do not take on this [terrifying] form when you are calm; [show yourself again] to me in your former manner! Your steps open [the way to] destiny, O sublime [lady] of millions of [years! (?) Show] your power! If you save me from this abomination [and forgive my] guilt, I myself [will repay you] and save you in your misfortune; . . . laughter will return after [weeping].
[The goddess] ceased from her anger 20 and calmed her rage, which [accompanied] the aspect that she had assumed. [The little dog-monkey] stood up to ask her about . . . what he had said. The [little] dog-monkey noticed that she was placated . . . [and said]: "Will my sovereign not laugh [when she] sees life, ( that is . . . good ). I will make your eyes see [and make you] rejoice. Hear the story of Sight and Hearing ( that is: 'He does it' and 'It is done for him' ).
There were two vultures on the mountain tops; Sight was the name of the one, and [Hearing was the name] of the other. One day Sight said to Hearing: "My eyes are keener [than yours] and my vision is better than yours. What happens to me does not happen to [any other bird] that flies except me."
Hearing said to her: "What is it?"
Sight said: "I can see 30 unto the limit of [Darkness] and I can observe the sea as far as the encircling waters { Nun }."
Hearing said to her, "Why does this happen to you?"
She said: "I can do this because I remain in the chamber and I [eat] ] my food, and therefore the [sleeping] I do is very great ; when . . . as I refresh myself [14] in the chamber, and I do not eat after [sunset?] ."
[Hearing said to her]: "Your eyes are keener than my eyes, and your vision, too, is better than mine. But what happens to me does not happen to any other bird that flies except me. Behold, I can enchant the sky so that I can hear what is in it. I can hear what Rê, the shining sun, the [Avenger] of the gods, ordains every day in heaven concerning the earth."
Sight said to her, "Why does this happen to you?"
She said to her: "It happens to me because I do not sleep at mid-day and I do not eat after the sunlight ( variant from another papyrus: Rê. ); and so I can settle myself to sleep in the evening with my crop empty."
Sight pondered these words in her heart.
There came a time 10 when Hearing started laughing. Sight said, "Why are you laughing?"
Hearing said to her: "It is true that a divine hearing-bird came to me, when she was in the sky far away from the earth. ( Iiref reported this to me; Iirisenef says: ) The sir-fly, which is at the limit of obscurity, was swallowed by the lizard. ( Iirisenef said also: ) The skink swallowed the lizard. The snake swallowed the skink. Then the eagle [took] the snake into the sea."
Hearing said to Sight, "If you can look into the sea and observe what is in the water, what has happened to the snake and the eagle?"
Sight said, "It is true: I believe all the things that you have said, and I regard them all as true. Behold, the snake and the eagle that fell into the sea, 20 - an ati-fish ate them with his mouth. Behold, in turn a cat-fish ate the ati-fish, (according to another version, "behold, the ati-fish was swallowed by a cat-fish" ) and approached the shore. Behold, a lion came down to the sea, and pulled the catfish onto the shore. Behold, a griffin has caught their scent. He has hooked his claws into both of them, and carried them beneath the splendour of the circuits of the sky. He has laid them down and has torn at them upon the mountain before him, and made a meal of them. If you think I am telling a lie, come to the desert ridge. I shall let you see them, torn and dismembered before him, as he on makes a meal of them."
The two vultures flew into the desert. They found that that everything they had said together was entirely true. Sight said to Hearing: 30 "Indeed, nothing happens on earth except that which the God commands in heaven. Whoever acts well will be rewarded, and whoever acts badly will receive the same."
Then (Sight said to ) Hearing : "What will happen about the killing of the lion that the griffin has attacked? How will it be settled?"
Hearing said to Sight: "It's true; [15] do you not know that the griffin is the creature [of Death]? He is the herdsman of everything that is upon the earth. He is the Avenger, upon whom no avenger can take vengeance. His beak is an eagle's, his eyes are that of a man, his limbs are those of a lion, his ears are [like] the scales of sea-fish, his tail is that of a snake - the five living creatures that are upon [the earth]. He takes this form because he wields power over everything that is upon the earth, like Death the Avenger, who is also the herdsman of everything that is upon the earth . . . Truly, he who kills is killed, and he who orders a killing, his destruction is ordered."
I have told you this story so that you may be convinced that nothing is hidden from Rê, the Radiant God, the Avenger of the gods (variant: of the god). He takes vengeance on everything that is on earth, starting from the flea, 10 the smallest of all living things, until his punishment reaches the griffin, the largest of all living things. The good and the evil that is done on earth will be repaid by Rê. ( That is to say: Even though you may say that I am smaller than you in size, Rê will treat me the same as you. ) His smell and his hearing extend to everything that is on earth . . . He sees what is in the egg when it is (?) still growing. Whoever opens an egg is like someone who kills: their sin can never be washed away.
If you think that is a lie, look at the trace of blood that is still on your clothes. This is the blood of the wicked persons who committed a murder, but it was not repaid during their lifetime; when they died, their remains were sought out to exact vengeance on them after their death. 20 The clothing of the gods as well as of men bears the trace of their blood, so that our hearts may rejoice in the knowledge that the Avenger always pronounces his punishment on the guilty. It marks the clothing so that the inhabitants of the earth may . . ., for the trace of a crime cannot be washed away. The Avenger pursues the criminal, whether he is alive or dead, without ever releasing him.
I know that you are called 'Cat,' the one who is not subject to the power of the Avenger; I also know that you are the instrument of death, and that you (?) can never die. You are the instrument of the Avenger and (?) justice, the daughter of Rê; you are called 'whispering cat,' because you whisper in the ears of the inhabitants of the earth.
Then the Nubian cat laughed: her heart was delighted by the words of the little dog-monkey. She greeted him warmly 30 and said: "I will neither kill you nor let you be killed! I hate to witness an evil deed; on the contrary, only good will be done to you! Why do you look so sad when you have done nothing bad, but only good! You have freed my heart from sadness and filled it with joy!"
And she added: "When the lamb . . . and the lion lies there, [16] there is a slaughter worthy of Set Seth ." That is to say, "a wise man does not rob a great man in his own house."
She added by way of explanation: "No meat is given to the sacrificial animal (?) as food, because it would not . . . weak. If a strong man humiliates a weak man, then he will be harmed by someone even stronger than himself!"
Then the north wind came from heaven, bringing with it the scent of Punt. The Nile rose, and it became light in the morning , when Rê appeared as a great flaming disk of the sun; his looks were full of joy and his rays were full of life. There were no clouds in the path of Sothis, whose rays shone on Egypt and reached as far as (?) Hehe.
These beautiful (?) words made her turn her face towards Egypt, and the dog-monkey rushed to the goddess to entertain her 10 while her heart was truly glad. He said to her: "My lady, this is the way to Egypt; it is not the desert path on which you have walked for so long. I will make you cover the distance in [a few] days." She laughed and said: "Why did you not tell me this before?"
( His voice also: the little (?) miscellanies. )
The little dog-monkey opened his mouth and said:
O greetings to you! Listen to the story that happened to the two jackals! Once upon a time there were two jackals in the desert who were inseparable; they were always joking with each other, [saying] "You will become the friend of someone else," but neither of the two jackals strayed far from his companion. They drank and ate [and did] everything together.
Now, one day when they were cooling themselves in the shade of a bush in the desert, they saw a furious lion on the hunt, rushing towards them. 20 They stayed there without running away. When the lion reached the two jackals, he said to them: "A bad day for you! Did you not see me when I came to towards you? Why then did you not flee from me?"
They replied: "In fact, our lord, we saw you in your fury, but we thought that we should not flee from you, because you would catch us anyway. It is better that you eat us while we still have all our energy in us, without having given yourself any trouble, rather than eat us when we are exhausted, inflicting a slow and painful death on us. As the proverb says: 'May the crocodile who seizes me enjoy a good taste in his mouth!' "
The lion understood the point of the two jackals' speech. A great lord is merciful, as they say, and a great man does not become angry at a true remark. So [the lion went] away from them, and he let them go.
My lady! If you are (?) persuaded, 30 you must come and keep me company. As for me, I am with you and I will never leave you! However, and may my breath be safe, how can (?) you prefer the dust of this desert to the houses of your homeland?
The goddess then said to him: "Your heart has lost [none ]of its confidence, little dog-monkey! But none of your words astonished me, except that you said: 'I will deliver you from your misfortune.' Who in the end could . . . me? [17] Is there a being more powerful than the bear, [apart from Shai]? What is the limit of your power? [Could it] tear my whip from me?
The little dog-monkey answered her: "Take good care of yourself and may you prosper! The treasure of a wise man is his ears! May your ears be for you a storehouse of . . . May they give you security! The storehouse of Shai, the great god, is hidden, but the wise man knows it. The powerful always find someone more powerful than themselves; the strong always find someone stronger than themselves; bulls always find someone more vigorous than themselves; the brave always find someone braver than themselves!"
( His voice also: the little preparations. )
He opened his mouth and said: "Listen to a story that I am going to tell you!"
There was a [lion on the] mountain who was mighty in strength 10 and was good at hunting. [The small game of the] mountains knew fear of him and terror of him. One day it happened that he met a panther whose fur was stripped, whose skin was torn, who was half dead and half alive [because of his] wounds. The lion said: "How did you get into this condition? Who scraped your fur and stripped your skin?" The panther [said to him]: "It was man." The lion said to him: "Man, what is that?" The panther said to him: "There is no one more cunning than man. May you not fall into the hand of man!" The lion became enraged against man. He ran away from the panther in order to search for [man].
The lion encountered a team yoked . . . so that one bit was in the mouth of the horse, the other bit [in the] mouth of the donkey. The lion said to them: "Who is he who has done this to you?" They said: "It is man, our master," He said to them: 20 "Is man stronger than you?" They said: "Our lord, there is no one more cunning than man. May you not fall into the hand of man!" The lion became enraged against man; he ran away from them.
The same happened to him with an ox and a cow, whose horns were clipped, whose noses were pierced, and whose heads were roped. He questioned them; they told him the same.
The same happened with a bear whose claws had been removed and whose teeth had been pulled. He asked him, saying: "Is man stronger than you?" He said: "That is the truth. I had a servant who prepared my food. He said to me: 'Truly, your claws stick out' from your flesh; you cannot pick up food with them. Your teeth protrude; they do not let the food reach your mouth. Release me, and I will cause you to pick up twice as much food!' When I released him, 30 he removed my claws and my teeth. I have no food and no strength without them! He strewed sand in my eyes and ran away from me." The lion became enraged against man. He ran away from the bear in order to search for man.
He met a lion who was [tied to] a tree of the desert, the trunk being closed over his paw, and he was very distressed because he could not run away. [18] The lion said to him: "How did you get into this evil condition? Who is he who did this to you?" The lion said to him: "It is man! Beware, do not trust him! Man is bad. Do not fall into the hand of man! I had said to him: 'What work do you do?' He said to me: 'My work is giving old age. I can make for you an amulet, so that you will never die. Come, I will cut a tree for you and place it on your body as an amulet, so that you will never die.' I went with him. He came to this tree of the mountain, sawed it, and said to me: 'Stretch out your paw.' I put my paw between the trunk; he shut its mouth on it. When he had ascertained of me that my paw was fastened, so that I could not run after him, he strewed sand into my eyes and ran away from me."
Then the lion laughed and said: "Man, 10 if you should fall into my hand, I shall give you the pain that you inflicted on my companions on the mountain!" Then, as the lion was walking in search of man, there strayed into his paw a little mouse, small in size, tiny in shape. When he was about to crush him, the mouse said to him: "Do not [crush] me, my lord the lion! If you eat me you will not be sated. (If you release me you will not hunger for me either. If you give me my breath of life as a gift, I shall give you your own breath of life as a gift. If you spare me from your destruction, I shall make you escape from your misfortune." The lion laughed at the mouse and said: "What is it that you could [dol in fact? Is there anyone on earth who would attack me?" But he swore an oath before him, saying: 20 "I shall make you escape from your misfortune on your bad day!" Now although the lion considered the words of the mouse as a joke, he reflected, "If I eat him I shall indeed not be sated," and he released him.
Now it happened that there was a huntsman with a net who set traps and had dug a pit before the lion. The lion fell into the pit and fell into the hand of man. He was placed in the net, he was bound with dry leather straps, he was tied with raw straps. Now as he lay suffering on the mountain, in the seventh hour of the night, Fates wished to make his joke come true, because of the boastful words that the lion had spoken, and made the little mouse stand before the lion. He said to him: "Do you recognize me? I am the little mouse to whom you gave his breath (of life as a gift. I have come in order to repay you for it today, 30 and to rescue you from your misfortune, since you are suffering. It is beautiful to do good to him who does it in turn." Then the mouse set his mouth to the fetters of the lion. He cut the dry straps; he gnawed through all the raw straps with which he had been bound, and released the lion from his fetters. The mouse hid himself in his mane, and he went off with him to the mountain on that day.
[19] ". . . astonishing. . . the little [mouse], which is the weakest creature in the desert, [saved the] lion, which is the strongest creature in the desert . . . so that its miracle might happen. May your breath be safe, O Nubian cat! Do not let punishment overtake you when you are looking for something to eat . . . is greater than this. In fact, listening . . . "
. . . the little dog-monkey . . . All the words that he had said pleased [her], and she was greatly delighted by him as she [turned] her face towards Egypt. The little dog-monkey ran in front of her 10 and [entertained] her by talking. Her heart was very glad.
( The little . . . )
A palm tree [appeared] in front of them. The little dog monkey jumped up to reach [it]. It so happened that [he caught a] branch and ate (?) the fruit, while his face was resting on his fingers and he looked towards his land.
The goddess said to him: "Come down! I will give you date-wine to drink, and I will give you dates to eat. 10 I will make you drunk with date-wine under the shade of a palm tree, while you are anointed with date-oil and drink from . . . palm. A garland of palm-leaves will be put on you and a crown of palm-leaves will be placed on your head, while you are lying on a bed of palm-wood."
He said to her: "Leave me alone! I cannot satisfy myself . . . , while I look at my country, at my desert . . . for I am going to a distant land. Millions of date-palms . . . 20 cannot [compare] with one in [my] country. When I eat dates, my heart is glad, and the four kas of my heart are joyful; when I look towards my country, and I smell Egypt . . . sand under my feet."
He came down and entertained her by talking, while her face was turned towards Egypt and [her] heart was very [glad].
( The little . . . )
Later, a l3tm tree appeared in front of them. The little dog monkey climbed on top of it; he ate l3tm and chewed l3tm and filled his mouth with l3tm . . . his hands were full of l3tm; but meanwhile he looked towards his country with his face resting on his fingers. He returned as if to his mountain, and his heart was very happy .
The goddess said to him: "Come down! I will give you l3tm juice to drink, I will give you l3tm to eat, while you are anointed with l3tm oil. . . . of l3tm 30 will be lit [near you] and you will carry a . . . of sweet l3tm wood, while they sing to you, accompanied by a harp of l3tm wood."
The dog monkey said: "Leave me alone! May you live! By the fate of my . . . The bark of the l3tm tree on my mountain is sweeter than Haroeris, the lord of the boat, when he strikes(?) the tambourine, and when he sings to the accompaniment of the harp. My heart is glad and the four kas of my heart are joyful." ( Variant: . . . is green . . . ) "My heart overflows, [20] when I look towards my country, and [its] . . . water is at my feet and its dust is [on] my head]."
Then the dog monkey [came] down from the tree and walked in front of the goddess. He entertained her [by] talking, and her heart was very glad.
( The little . . . )
A doum-palm tree appeared before them; the little dog monkey [climbed] on top of it; he ate doum nuts, he chewed doum nuts, he licked doum nuts, he crushed doum nuts, he [held] a doum nut in his [hand]; but meanwhile he looked towards his country, with his face resting on his fingers, and he scorched (?) the desert with his gaze .
The goddess said to him: "Come down! I will give you doum-palm wine to drink, I will give you doum-palm nuts to eat, 10 while they sing for you accompanied by a harp made of doum-palm wood, while you . . . of doum-palm wood. I will make you drunk with doum-palm wine, with a wreath of doum-palm leaves on your head. You will wear a robe of doum-palm fibres, and you will wear sandals of doum-palm fibres on your feet, and you will have a diadem of doum-palm wood on your head."
The little dog monkey said to her: "Leave me alone! . . . with a good north wind; with a broad (?) gaze . . . it is pleasant . . . it is pleasant . . . on the dung. May I see my [country, when I . . .] to Egypt . . . my mountain, . . . seek it 20 in time to call it, . . . dust like the ash (?) of a dog; in fact, there was no . . . cow [dung] to do the work . . ."
The little dog monkey [came down] from the tree and walked before the goddess. He entertained her by [talking], and her heart was very glad.
( The little . . . )
[A sycamore tree appeared] before them; the little dog monkey climbed [on top of it]; he ate sycamore figs, he took sycamore fruits, . . ., and threw away the seeds, but meanwhile he looked towards his [country with his face resting on his fingers] . . . towards his mountain.
The goddess said to him: "Come down! I will [give you] sycamore figs [to eat], I will give you [the juice] of the sycamore to drink, [while you] sleep [on a bed] of sycamore wood, and a lamp . . . of sycamore 30 . . . next to you . . . under the sycamore tree of Nephersais, and the mistress of rejoicing . . ."
The [little dog monkey] said : ". . . of the sycamore tree is sweeter . . . [when] it grows on my mountain, than that of the temple dedicated to Ptah . . . the sycamore."
The little dog monkey [came] down from the tree, and walked [21] in front of the goddess, while he entertained her by talking. [She] realised that he did these things to persuade [her] to . . . [her] country.
( Another version says: ) She transformed herself into a noble vulture and proceeded with him towards Egypt, until she arrived at Nekheb. He (?) caused [the goddess] to assume the appearance of a vulture there, while the dog monkey paid homage to her, because it is the place of the creators . . . she settled (?) there due to the appearance that she had assumed ( that is, the appearance of . . . ). It is said that after she arrived at this place, in consideration of . . ., she proceeded together with the little dog monkey until she reached [ Thebes ], where she transformed herself into a gazelle, which was very . . ., 10 while the monkey paid homage to her.
( The little . . . )
It happened that while she was sleeping near Thebes, and the little dog monkey was watching over her, a strong . . . of Apep from . . . jumped at her. While they were advancing towards her [in order to harm] her, the little dog monkey woke up the goddess, and ran into the (?) ferry with her . . . he crouched with her in the (?) reeds. It happened that while they were in the (?) ferry, she realised the truth of the words that the little dog monkey had said to her in the desert, and she believed all the things he had said; she praised him greatly and said to him, "The same . . ." These same [rites] are still performed in Thebes . . . go to the (?) ferry on the shore, while the lady . . . and they sing to appease her. [She] was (?) hot when she arrived in Egypt . . . 20 they recite in front of her.
Here is the established song:
[Come] to me! May you come to me, O Mut, that I may see you!
[Come] to me, come to me, O Mut, that we may see you!
Come to Egypt, O gazelle of the road!
Come to Egypt, O great noble of Bukem!
Do you not know that returning to Egypt is better than many green stones?
I will make you [forget ]them!
O Amun, twice great, you have (?) destroyed them!
O Khonsu-in-Thebes Neferhotep, you have scattered the rich treasure in the temple of Mut!
You have devoured the skin, giving (?) the reward to me.
Mut has come to her abode, she is in Asheru!
Mut is the lady of the lands . . .
Come, O Mut, lady of Pharaoh, take her people!
Come, O Mut, lady of songs and of festivals, come and take her songs!
Come, O Mut, lady of the harp, 30 come and take her songs!
( This is said because of what happened to the goddess with the . . . of Apep and of the way that she was woken up by the thrice-great god Thoth, and . . . [that] happened through him, that is Thoth the great god, after they celebrated a festival in Thebes for her [during] seven days. [22] It is customary to have a festival in Thebes . . . )
The goddess [went on] in jubilation, in her beautiful aspect of Tefnut. The monkey [accompanied] her wherever she decided to go, and she took great delight in him, so much so that Rê, her father, considered him a miracle. Rê was informed in Hut-aat and Khonsu was informed in his abodes. He became 21 divine [cubits ?] long. The heart of the dog-monkey was very happy; he was like someone reborn. He came from Heliopolis to Memphis in front of her; he took the goddess by the hand and celebrated a festival with her in the residence (?) of the Lady of the Sycamore in Memphis. She told Rê about the things that the little dog monkey said to her when she met him 10, and the advice with which he comforted her heart.
Then the goddess brought him before Rê at the feast. Rê praised him, as Thoth the thrice-great god, and gladdened her heart by telling her that Thoth the thrice-great god was his father . . . she was speaking his praises before Rê . . . Rê made a lotus (?) sacrifice for him . . . and he made a divine hymn for him.
The song and the blessing of the monkey - its (?) words:
What kind of god are you to me, what kind of god are you to me . . . ?
Have you not appointed the bull, the lord (?) of mating, for (?) Satis the great, lady of [ Elephantine ]?
Have you not sacrificed a red bull to Horus the great, lord of [ Edfu ]?
20 Have you not killed . . . short-horned cattle for Nekhebet, [lady of Nekheb]?
Have you not taken a golden (?) seal in your hand, for [ Hathor ], lady of Armant?
Have you not made many great libations for Mut the great, lady of Asheru?
Have you not taken a golden censer in your hand for the god of Coptos?
Have you not made the (?) 'men-women' shake their hair for the goddess in the far lands?
Have you not taken a wreath of green leaves for Hathor-Mut, lady of . . . ?
Is . . . daughter the architect who built the tower of Hathor?
Have you not made the (?) 'men-women' shake their hair for the goddess of Hu?
Have you not raised . . . for the goddess of Hut-djefau?
Have you not taken up a drum to acclaim the goddess of Akhmim?
Have you not taken up a green and red cloth for the goddess . . . the mistress of number 16?
30 Have you not taken a green palm branch in your hand for Hathor, the lady of Cusae?
. . .
{ Very little survives of column 23, which probably contained the final part of the hymn and the end of the story. }
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